The Girl with the Braid
by BadgerInMySoup
Summary: I've always loved her- the girl with the braid and the voice of an angel. Pre-Hunger Games, hints of Peetniss.


AN- My first Hunger Games fic. I wasn't a Peeta/Katniss fan at first but they sort of grew on me.

* * *

I've always loved her- the girl with the braid and the voice of an angel.

Ever since she opened her mouth that day in music, ever since the birds stopped singing, I've been unable to get her out of my head. I've found myself watching her constantly as we grew older, seeing her grow into a beauty that did nothing to help my feelings.

When we were kids, we were forced, in school, to participate in gym class. The instructor forced kids from the Seam and Town to be on the same teams because even at that young of an age, there was prejudice. Katniss ended up on my team, consisting of mostly boys from both sides of the District.

The goal was to throw a ball into a basket. Because we were such a poor district, we got terrible equipment- the ball was completely deflated. That didn't stop my teammates from being barbaric. The moment the whistle was blown, they descended upon the hunk of rubber. I stayed a few steps behind and so did Katniss.

At first.

When the other side captured our 'ball', Katniss dove into action. She sprinted toward them, got right under the nose of a rather burley Seam kid, and captured the rubber pile. With all of us watching in shock, she sprinted back to the other side and tossed it into the set, scoring us a point.

Of course, at that time, boys weren't allowed to admire girls without being teased mercilessly- Seam or Town- so my teammates grudgingly congratulated while I only stared in amazement in the background. Every time after, she stuck to the ball and helped our team win. I never got a chance to tell her how good she was.

* * *

When I was thirteen, I was brought into the bakery to help my mother and father. They quickly discovered I had the talent to frost the cakes, make them beautiful, far more captivating than my father's. So, every day after school, I would go straight to the bakery and work. Hours I'd spend, crafting every cake into a work of art.

One day, I looked up from a particularly difficult design to wipe my forehead and I saw her, standing right outside the window. For one wild moment, I thought she was spying on me. Then I realized she wasn't alone; thankfully, she wasn't accompanied by that Hawthorne kid who had recently become a permanent fixture in her life.

She had a miniature version of herself that I immediately recognized as Prim, everyone's favorite member of the Everdeen clan due to her adorable sweetness. I think she'd have the power to melt President Snow's heart.

Maybe.

I could partly hear their conversation, Prim was enamored by the designs -my designs- in the bakery window.

"Aren't they wonderful, Katniss? It looks just like a flower. And, that one there, looks like the setting sun!"

"They're wonderful, Prim," Katniss replied. She was obviously ready to move on, to go home or perhaps, I thought bitterly, meet up with Hawthorne. But, she stayed. Because Prim wanted to stay.

I imagined myself walking outside, casually throwing out some old bread. I'd look over at the Everdeen girls, like I'd just noticed them. I'd approach them confidently, and ask Prim if she wanted a free sample. Katniss would be amazed at my generosity towards her younger sister, the light of her life, and I'd look up and grin at her and maybe she'd finally notice me too.

I don't know how long I stood there, staring out the window, not willing to look away because she could be gone. Then my mother called my name and I turned my head just for a second. That second was all it took; she was gone when I looked back.

* * *

When we were fifteen, my friends were idiots. Fellow Town kids who spent their days at school ogling girls and rating how good they'd be. I never spoke a word and they pegged me the quiet one but really, I was disgusted their behavior. I was told by my father to always treat a girl with respect, no matter what. One day, Katniss walked by.

"Definitely a ten," Robert suggested, lewdly staring after her.

"An eleven," Timmins corrected.

"I wouldn't touch her if she was the last girl on Earth. She's a Seam," Derk muttered. "She's trash."

"Say that again."

We each turned to see Gale Hawthorne standing there, his eyes dark with anger and his fists curled at his sides. He was two years older than us and still, I thought bitterly, spending as much time with Katniss as possible.

"Everdeen is filth," Derk sneered.

I almost punched him. Katniss was beautiful in both looks and soul. She was determined and fierce and she loved her sister and family above all else. Gale, I could see, felt the same way. Maybe not about her soul, but about punching him.

"Gale?"

The voice that I spent every day longing to hear, and in my fantasies, it was always directed towards me. She surveyed the moment, looking from Robert to Timmins to Derk and to Gale. I noticed all this because my eyes couldn't leave her face. So, when she looked at me, our eyes met and my heart missed a beat and my face probably turned a beet red.

She turned back to Gale. "What's going on?"

I waited for him to rat us out, for him to admit what he'd overheard and for a huge fight to break out and Katniss would never look at me again without disgust.

"Nothing," Gale surprised me by saying, "Let's go."

And I watched her walk away, her body close to his and it tore at me.

* * *

When I turned sixteen, I made it my goal to talk to Katniss Everdeen. I'd grown tall, and acquired some muscle from the sacks of flour I had to carry. I came second in a wrestling competition and girls noticed me when I walked with my friends. I just wanted her to notice me.

It happened unexpectedly. I was walking to my regular lunch table when I noticed her, sitting alone. Usually Madge Undersee the mayor's daughter, sat with her. I saw this as an opportunity and I took it.

"Hi."

She looked up at me, surprise and something else written all over her face; I realized with a start she was more beautiful close up and I also realized how much of a goner I truly was.

"Um, hello."

I opened my mouth to talk more; ask her where Madge was, how her sister was doing, if she wanted to maybe take a walk with me one night. But I never got the chance. Derk called my name, rather loudly, from our table and everyone looked over. Katniss, who loved to stay under the radar, ducked her head in embarrassment and I knew I lost her.

"Bye."

I stomped over to the table, shoved Derk, and proceeded to eat my lunch and ignore my friends, my eyes locked on the girl with the braid. Before this year was over, I promised myself, I would capture her attention. And maybe her heart.

Just like she captured mine.

* * *

AN- Aw, Peeta, don't worry. She's gonna notice you soon...not in the way you want exactly but soon!


End file.
